Police: Woman told drunk driver to pull over; he instead assaults her

A 35-year-old man assaulted his passenger early Saturday after she screamed for him to pull over because he was intoxicated and swerving on the road, according to court records.

Matthew J. McGonagle, of Allentown, allegedly pushed the woman out of his car on Kernsville Road and Wilshire Court in Lowhill Township, according to court records. McGonagle then got out and pushed her to the ground, pulled her hair and punched her in the face, according to court records.

The victim started screaming for help as McGonagle continued to assault her, according to court records. The victim managed to flag down a car and that person called police at 1:30 a.m., police said.

State troopers arrived and talked to the injured woman.

According to a criminal complaint:

The 26-year-old victim told police she and McGonagle had been to several bars earlier that night and he was driving her home when she told him to pull over because he was swerving. She told McGonagle that she would call her mother for a ride home, but McGonagle assaulted her.

State police had McGonagle perform field-sobriety tests, which he failed. Police also found marijuana in his pocket.

Police placed McGonagle in the back of a squad car and he became belligerent and began cursing at troopers and spit on one. At the booking center, he continued cursing at troopers and booking center staff and refused to give a blood sample.

McGonagle, of the 1500 block of Union Street, was charged with drunken driving, aggravated harassment by a prisoner, possession of marijuana, simple assault and harassment. He was arraigned by District Judge Donna Butler and released after posting $25,000 bail.